Gate control for flour bins



lE. GASE.l

GATE CONTROL FOR FLOUR BINS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. 1920.

L41 9,556 Patnted J une I3, 1922.

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TUBING CORPO ,rilassa Application filed September 27, 1920.

To all whom it may Zen of the United States naw, in the Michigan,

improvements Bins, of which tion.

county of Saginaw have invented in Gate Controls for Flour the following is a specifica- GATE CONTROL EUR LOUR BINS.

Specification of Letters Eatent. Ptqgmtqd Jun@ 13 1922,

concern Be it known that l, EUGENE Quien, a citiresiding at Sagr and State of new and useful This invention relates to improvements; in

devices for operating from shutters of the gate valves of grain or similar matebins con ainiiig flour,

a distance the a number of rials and has for its object to make the inanipulation quick, and

of these shutters easy, especially also to correct and prevent any possible mistakes by causing open shutters to close automatically as soon as is opened.

For this purpose, the shutters sliding in a fresh one provide each end of the gate valves used in the series with a wire, chain or other flexible, but inelastic means eral called wire)', and one end of each shutter spring or other elastic means adapted the valve closed as its noi' the wire at the opposite (hereafter in genconnect the wire at to a heavy weight,

to keep mal condition, and

end of each shutter to the shorter part of a two armed lever adapted to overcome the resistance ofthe spring or the like and provided all the wires ar thus to open the valve,

e tightly stretched in the normal position of the valve being closed. The levers,

of which as many are employed as there aie gates to be operated,

have the same length and fulcruin, turn round a preferably horizontal shaft common to all and fixed to the side walls of a boXlike support containing the whole lever arrangement, and are provided at the ends of their Upper and usually long-e11 handles to work the saine;

lower and usually shorter arms with suitable the ends of their arms, to which the wires are fastened, are shaped in such a man ner that they catch easily counterweighted pawls-one fixed to a common shaft into the notches of for each leverrotatably mounted in the support for'the levers and preferably parallel to the shaft round which the latter turn. T he levers and pawls are so arranged to each other that, when,

in order to open a gate, a lever is turned so as to draw its shutter open against the spring or the like keeping this lever will press pawl, until it catches int pressure of the weight,

it normally closed,

down the tip of its o the notch of the Serial No. 413,216.

latter, and release automatically at the same time any other lever or levers held by their pawls, whereby the shutters belonging to these levers are drawn back into the closed position. l preferably use springs to keep the shutters closed, and, as the openings of the latter have usually a greater length than the way to which the springs may be drawn out `with ease and safety, and also than the extent of the movement of those points of the levers to which the wires opeiating them are attached, l iin wires of a suitable length to each end of the shutters, lead them over sheaves rotatably mounted in loose forklike frames, and fasten the other ends of these wires to stationary hooks or similar sup ports; the stein of one fork is then hired to the loose end of the spring, and that of the opposite one to the wire leading to the lever. T his arrangement has the lengthening effect of a tackle and facilitates at the same time the working of the device.

The accompanying drawings serve for more minutely describing and explaining by way of example the essential coiistructional parts of my invention; they represent the apparatus which 'l use for operating the gate valves arranged in the passages leading flour from a screw conveyer into the top of large bins, placed, as is usual in large bakeries, in row side by side on the floor above a battery of kneading machines.

Fig. l is a top view of four flour bins with their gate valves and the devices and wires to work them. Fig. 2 shows the arrangement of the 'four levers for operating the valves, and Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showing a lever in the position, when the gate is open, in dark lines, and, when the latter is closed, in dotted lines.

Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts serving the same' or a similar purpose.

ln Fig. l the four flour bins are indicated by the numerals l, 2, 3 and l; they are fed by the screw conveyer 5 and connected to and disconnected from the latter by the gate valves 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively. Each valve has a shutter l0 with an opening ll therein for making the connection between the conveyer 5 and the bin, to which the valve belongs. rllhat end of each shutter l0, to which the opening ll is nearest,-the back endwis provided with a hook l2, to which one end of the wire 13 is connected, while the other end oi 13 is attached to the hook 14 fixed to a side wall of the cenveyer 5. The wire 13 runs over the' loose sheave 15 freely revolving in its fork 16 connected by its stem to the free end of the strong spring 17, the other end of which is rigidly fixed to the top of the bin. The spring 17 must be of such va strength and the wire 13`ot such a length and so tightly stretched that by the action ot the spring 17 the shutter 10 remains normally closed and can only be drawn open by a torce applied to the iront end of l and. sufficiently great to overcome the effect of the spring. The opposite end of the shutter 10the iront endis fitted with the hook 18 to which one end of the wire 19 is attached, while the other end ot the latter is connected to the hook 20 fixed to a side wall ot the conveyer 5, the wire 19 runs over the loose sheave 21 freely revolving in its fork 22. The stem of the latter is connected to the wire 23 passing over the stationary guide pulleys 24 and the like to the lever working the shutter 10.

Four separate levers 25, 2G, 27 and 23 are provided for manipulating the shutters 10 ofthe gate valves 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively; all the four levers have the same fulcrum 29 and turn loosely round the shatt 30 fixed to the sides of the boxlike support 31, in which the lever arrangement is housed. The upper and longer arms of these levers, pro truding through slits 32 provided in the Vtop ot the box 31 and as long as the stroke oi.2 the corresponding` levers require, end in serviceable handles 33 marked with the number ot the bin, the gate Ot which they are intended to work, (1, 2, 3 and 4 corresponding to the bins 1, 2, 3 and 4). The lower and shorter arms of the levers are completely contained within the box 31 and furnished with hooks 34 to which the wires 23 are connected after passing over the guide pulley 35, rotatably supported in the torklike bracket 3G lixed to the back of the box 31, and the guide pulley 37, rotatably mounted in the forklike bracket 33y attached to the front ot 31. Slits ot a length to give ample play for the movement oi" that part of the wires 23 extending between the hook 34 and the guide pulley 37 are cut in the front wall oit the box 31, and openings 40 are provided in the front wall, and similar ones 41 in the back wall of 31, for those parts of the wires 23 extending between the pulleys 37 and 35 to pass through. The ends ot the lower arms ot the levers are shaped so as to easily catch into the notches or indents oit shoe-shaped pawls 42, tour ot whichone for each lever fare fixed rigidly and in line to the shatt 43 revolubly mounted in bearings arranged in the side walls of the box 3l.; thus., when one lever acts upon the pawl belonging thereto, the three other pawls will simultaneously perform exactly the same movement as that acted upon does. Each pawl 42 consists 0f the broad, curved front piece 44, its convex surface pointing'upwards and towards the front wall of 31,01" the main part 45 extending the whole length ot 42 and forming with the back or' the tip 44 the notch 46 into which the lever, when drawn forward, catches, and of the heel-like back part 47 heavier than and acting as counterweight for the iront piece 4 j. The shaft 43 is lixed by suitable means as screws to the main part 45 or' the pawls 42 at about-their middle and usually parallel to the shaft 30 round which the levers are turned. All the pawls are preferably of the same shape and size, and the lower arms of? the levers equal in length. In order to prevent the pawls from drop* ping in consequence of their heavy back parts 47 beyond the active zone of the levers, a rod 43 is xed derneath these back parts to the sides of the box 31. The wires 19 and 23, by means of which the levers actuate the shutters 10 ol the valves, must be oli such a length and so tightly stretched that the springs 17, which retain the shutters in their closed position, draw the lower ends of the levers, when tree and released from their pawls, against the lront wall ot the box 31, as

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 for the lever 27. The wires 13 and 19 with their1 shea-ves 15 and 21 respectively form tackles and serve to make the manipulation of the levers easier and to prolong the way, to which the springs 17 are drawn out by the latter, to the considerably greater length to which the shutters must be pulled forward in order to place the openings 11 in their entirety into the proper position tor fully connecting the conveyer with the bins.

The levers, their pawls and the shafts belonging to them are so arranged to each other, that, when, for opening a gate valve7 the lever belonging thereto is drawn forward. .it presses down the tip of the pawl 42, gliding along its curved part 44, until it catches into the notch 4G, whereupon the trent part 44 is moved upwards again by the weight of the heavier back part 47 and thus the lever is locked in this position; as all the other pawls move simultaneously with that acted upon by the lever, any other lever or levers held locked by their pawls will be released and the gate valves belonging thereto shut. It follows that, provided a single lever is operated at a time for opening its valve all the other gate valves will be closed, it they are not yet in this position; and that it is thus impossible to make the mistake ol leaving a valve, which is not to be used any longer, unclosed, and very diilicult indeed to open a wrong valve, though the bins and their valves are invisible to and separated from the attendant by ceilings and walls.

at a suitable distance un o l claim:

l. In apparatus the combination with a gate valves, one for each bin, of movable shutters for opening and closing the said valves, of resilient means connected to one end of the said shutters and so adapted as to keep the said valves normally closed, of flexible, but inelastic means attached to the opposite end of the said shutters, of a stationary support, of a shaft rigidly affixed in the latter, of levers, one for each of the said valves, each lever turning round the said shaft and connected at such a point to one of the said flexible, but inelastic means, that, when the said lever is turned, the resistance of the said resilient means, keeping the valve belonging thereto shut, is overcome, and the latter is opened, of a shaft rotatably mounted in the said support, of counter-weighted pawls corresponding to the said levers, rigidly affixed to the last named shaft and provided with notches, the said levers, the said pawls and their notches being so arranged that, when any one of the said levers is turned, it catches in the notch of the corresponding pawl, as soon as the corresponding gate valve has been completely opened, and is locked in this position by the heavier parts of all the said pawls dropping, and of curved surfaces, one arranged at each of the latter in front of its notch in such a manner that, when anyone of the said levers is turned for opening its corresponding gate valve and slides along suoli surface, the heavier parts of all the said pawls are lifted, whereby any other of the said levers re tained in the notch of its pawl is released therefrom and the corresponding gate valve closed.

Q. ln apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a plurality of bins, of gate valves, one for each bin, of movable shutters for opening and closing the said valves, of resilient means connected to one end of the said shutters and so adapted as to keep the said valves normally closed, of flexible, but inelastic means attached to the opposite end of the said shutters, of twoarmed levers-one for each of the said gate valves-having the same fulcrum, their shorter, equally long arms being connected to the said flexible, but inelastic means, and their longer arms being provided with handles for working the same, of a stationary shaft serving as fulcrum for all the said levers, of a support in which the said shaft is rigidly mounted, of pawls, one for each of the said levers, each pawl consisting of a lighter frontpart, a heavier backpart and a supported nnddlepart provided with a notch, of a shaft rotatably mounted in the said support of and parallel to the said stationary shaft and carri of the kind described, plurality of bins, of

ing all the said pawls rigidly affixed thereto at a point of their middlepart, the lighter frontparts of the same pointing towards the shorter ends of the said levers, the latter, the said pawls and their notches being so arranged, that, when anyone of the said levers is turned, it catches in the notch of the corresponding pawl., as soon as the corresponding gate valve has been completely opened, and is locked in this position by the weight of the heavier backparts of all the said pawls dropping, and of curved surfaces, one arranged at the lighter frontpart of each of the said pawls, starting at the notches contained in their middlepart in such a manner, that, when anyone of the said levers is turned for opening the corresponding` gate valve, it lifts, sliding along the said surface, the heavier backparts of all the said pawls, whereby any other of the said levers, retained in the notch of its pawl, is released therefrom and the corresponding gate valve closed.

3. In apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a plurality of bins, of gate valves, one for each bin, of movable shutters for opening and closing the said valves, of wires, two connected to each of the said shutters, one at one side for opening and one at the opposite side for keeping the said valves closed, and fastened with their other ends to stationary supports, of loose sheaves over which the said wires are tightly stretched, of forks in which the said sheaves are rotatably mounted, of springs attached to those of the said forks situated at one side of the said shutters and adapted to keep them normally closed, and of wires attached to those of the said forks placed at the opposite side of the said shutters and tightly stretched and connected with their other ends to levers adapted and arranged to draw the said shutters open.

a. ln apparatus of the kind described, the combination with a plurality of bins, of gate valves, one for each bin, of shutters sliding in the said valves, of wires, two connected to each of the said shutters, one at one side for opening and one at the opposite side for closing the said valves, and fastened with their other ends to stationary supports, of loose sheaves over which the said wires are tightly stretched, of forks in which the said sheaves are rotatably mounted, of springs attached to those of the said forks situated at one side of the said shutters, and adapted to keep them normally closed, of wires attached to those of the said forks placed at the opposite side of the said shutters, of leversone for each of the latterconnected to the last named wires, tightly stretched, in such a manner that, when such a lever is turned, the corresponding gate valve is opened, of a stationary shaft round which all the said levers are turned, of a support in which this shaft is rigidly lixed, of L shaft rotatably mounted in the said support, of pavvls Corresponding to the seid levers, rigidly affixed to the lest named shaft and provided with notches for the seid levers to catch and he locked in, after the latter have been turned so far that the corresponding gate velves are quite open, and 0': curved surfaces, one arranged at each of the seid pawls l0 h1 front of its notch in such a. manner that, whenl anyone ef the said levers is turned for opening its corresponding gate valve and slides along such surface, it unlocks and releases any other of the said levers re- 15 tained in the notch or' its pawl, whereby the corresponding gate valve is Closed.

EUGENE GASE. 

